Trainee journalist at Cardiff JOMEC, English & German graduate from the University of Exeter, former editor of Exeposé student newspaper and winner of 'Best Interview' at the 2017 Student Publication Association national awards.

Glass bottle attack leaves student “in a state for several days”

Exeposé News online (8 December 2016)

An Exeter student has warned others to “think about the consequences of their actions” after having a glass bottle smashed on her head last month in the city.

The anonymous final year student told Exeposé: “I was walking home at night, and a glass bottle thrown from a James Owen Court flat smashed on my head.” While not causing any serious injury, the incident left her “in a state for several days,” she added.

The student doesn’t know if residents were aiming at pedestrians. “Directly afterwards a guy on the lower floor opened his window to see if we were ok, and said he’d heard it happen eight times already that night,” she said. “I assume he meant bottles being thrown rather than hitting people but it’s quite scary to think someone might actually have been aiming for passers-by.”

She notified Estate Patrol the following day – but was told that as she didn’t report the incident immediately, there wasn’t much they could do.

A University of Exeter spokesman told Exeposé they were “aware of an incident at James Owen Court in the early hours of 10 November,” adding: “the Residence Life team and University security team are investigating.

“Although we understand that nobody was hurt, this kind of behaviour is clearly unacceptable, and our inquiries are ongoing,” they said.

The student told Exeposé about the incident “in a bid to prevent similar thoughtless actions,” she explained.

“I was hit on the back of my head, so it could have been much worse if we’d been just a bit further in front,” she said, adding: “it was really painful and I had broken glass all through my hair, but I was actually very lucky.

“Either way it could have been so easily prevented if people gave more thought to what they did,” she said. “It could also have been far worse.”